upvote
A Car Powered by 1600 HP Hydrogen Engines Just Beat a Land Speed Record

(www.theautopian.com)

4 points

by addaon2 hours ago |
4 comments
upvoteby ggm1 hours ago|
[-]
I think it behoves JCB to say why they see electric motors in this industrial niche unsatisfying when the mining sector in Australia is going in electric super big time in underground and open cast, for all kinds of roles.

I suspect JCB is like Toyota "we don't think we have a commanding advantage in this market segment (ev) so we will trash it rather than invest in it" which is a shame because JCB certainly is a brand.

The supercar is a hoot of course. No disreect making a hydrogen land speed record, well done. I'm responding to a throwaway line in the article.

reply
upvoteby defrost1 hours ago|
parent|
[-]
Regrettably the big Australian miners (Rio Tinto, BHP, Fortescue, etc) want electric to work and are vocal about their efforts in that direction but the four or five stand alone fully electric trucks (Rio) trotted out for pressers aren't a good reflection of either the fleet majority or even of the current new acquisitions.

No longer online (just) the recent ABC "Media Watch -s2026e22- Monday 2026-07-06 BHP Battery Bunkum" episode had a bit to say about the curtain (media releases) not matching the carpet (purchasing).

That aside .. electric motors are as big a deal in mining as they've always been -

* bench face excavators are fully electric and drag power lines behind them as they load out trucks,

* most hundred+ tonne haul pak trucks are electrically driven .. (using power from onboard diesel generators),

* underground likes to use semi autonomous leading edge tools (up hole drilling for blasting, face shaving and loadout, etc) on powerlines, so you do see more usage there than in open CUT (I know, open cast was likely a typo)

etc.

Even super pro renewable Fortescue's Twiggy Forrest is having setbacks, although he's always been three steps forward, two and half back for much of his career, so things are still progressing.

reply
upvoteby ggm45 minutes ago|
parent|
[-]
Ah well. I've been duped by the hype. I'm glad there is at least some viable electrification going on.
reply
upvoteby defrost21 minutes ago|
parent|
[-]
The hype was genuine enthusiasm, the reality is somewhat Sisyphean :(

eg: Fortescue- Feb 2026

  Fortescue launched two battery-electric locomotives this week, rounding out its fleet of 70 diesel-powered machines hauling precious iron-ore from pit to port.

  The pair [ of battery powered locomotives ] will save the company 1 million litres of diesel each year, still just a fraction of the 80 million litres the company consumes annually.
and

  ... the company's stalled "Infinity Train" concept.

  Andrew Forrest had previously touted an in-house electric rail model, developed with Australian engineering firm Downer Group, that generated all the power it needed using the uphill-downhill dynamics of the Pilbara ranges. 

  The project was canned, however, in September, axing more than 100 staff.
~ https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-15/fortescue-battery-ele...

Definitely going for it, still a ways to go.

Fortescue's hydrogen generation pilot plants went well and have closed up shop - the economics are "close" but not "feasible" in the current climate - still too many subsidies for Chevron and LNG and too few for novel gas startups that need a full stack to function (generation + storage + usage).

reply